Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 916 — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Z 4 o a4 “a a 7 > : 9 Pe - > “a e a ‘< ‘ mY expe et ‘* And what have I got to do with her hav- ing seen a ghost?” ‘*Confound it, nothing; but, you are Dead - wood Dick, and as this seems to be a part of to be abroad to-night, for certain, oe him, an the whole mystery, your.place is right there.” ‘* How did you learn about it?” ‘‘ T happened into the store a minute after she had seen the thing,” ‘* And what was it like? The spooks seem Was it the shadow-coffin?” ‘* No;'she says it was her dead husband,” ** Strange.” ‘*T’ll rattle it offto youin few words, I dropped into the store to make a simple pur- chase, when the woman burst out of the back room with her eyes almost starting out of her head.” ‘* No wonder, if she had seen a ghost ” ‘‘Tasked her what was the matter, and she excitedly told me she had just seen the ghost of her dead husband, and that he had spoken to her! She wildly cried for her boy Charlie, and urged me to bring him. She had heard, of course, all about the apparition in the saloon, and the death of Mainard, and she feared for her boy.” ‘* I see.” ‘‘ Well, I pacified her for the moment, as best I could, and urged her not to say a word to any one else and said I would bring Char- lieto her just as soonas possible. I found started him, and then I scouted around mighty lively to get on track of you, forthe reason that you are the man oi all men to take up the matter, if there is any- thing init. It is just possible that this be- longs to the other case, too. Here we are.” CHAPTER XIIL. ABOUT ANOTHER APPARITION. DgeaADWwoop Dicx was interested. He had paid close attention to what Klein had said, They now came to a stop before a little store which Dick had before noticed. It was a neat little place, with a display of men’s goods in the windows, and other light articles. They entered. Near the rear of the store stood the mo- ther and son, talking earnestly. Dick remembercd having seen the young man in the Lullaby Saloon, and he noted he looked somewhat concerned, The woman’s face was pale, and she trem- bled. She looked at Dick in a searching manner, and then at Klein in an inquiring way, and hardly seemed to like his bringing a stranger. ‘“‘Mrs. Bachert, this isa friend of mine,” said Klein. ‘‘ Mr. Dickwood, let me intro- duce you.” ‘ Dick had to smile at the odd twist the sport gave his name, but he acknowledged the introduction Ina manner that made the woman regard him in a more favorable light immediately. ‘‘T am glad to know you, as Mr. Klein’s friend, Mr. Dickwood,” the woman said. ‘* And he tells me you have had a scare.” ‘* More than a scare, sir,” ‘¢ Will you tell me all about it?” ‘* What good can that do, sir?” “‘T ‘will tell you, Mrs, Bachert,” spoke up Klein, quickly. ‘‘ We have made up our _ minds to solve the mysteries of this night, if _ tery of a ghost?” possible, and this may be a part of the whole.” | ‘* And even if not,” added Dick, ‘‘ we may be able to clear it up.” | _ ** That is impossible, sir.” se Why > ai! ‘‘How can you hope to explain the mys [ am no believer ino You saw something tangible, or you saw nothing at all.” : | ** Do you consider me crazy?” ~ **T do not,” » # . he a, # & + "i ‘ ses - ‘ p> 8 "ee ~*~ 4 x. ar »\ i A dl 7.5 14 A de ¥ Te Pits . ‘; el) 7M "+ j - va : A hae ; ; Pee att, “eek 2% RU be ae Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Double-D hosts, madam, | < ‘‘T saw something plainly enough.” “Then it was real flesh and blood, and it only remains—”’ ‘* Real flesh and blood! Why, sir, I could look right through the shadowy form as it stood before me.” ‘“Then it was some illusion, madam.” ‘*Come! Come with me!” and she led the way into the little rear room. The two men followed her, her son com- ing after them, looking terrified. It was a neatly furnished apartment, with around table in the middle of the floor, on which was a lamp. By this table was a chair, and on the floor was some sewing, just where the woman had dropped it in her moment of fright on seeing the ghost. ‘« See!”’ she said, pointing to the chair. ‘‘I was sitting there, sewing, when the light seemed to grow peculiar, and looking up, I saw something like a white shadow, if you ever heard of such a thing, there in the cor- ner, ‘* My work fell out of my hands, and I sat as if turned toice, unable to take my eyes off the dread sight. I never had such a feel- ing in my life. I wonder that I did not fall dead with fear. 1 was powerless to utter a sound, or to make a motion. Did you ever have nightmare? It was a feeling Jike that. ‘‘ The white shadow grew more and more distinct, as I looked at it, and in a moment I recognized my husband. who has been dead these ten years or more. Can you wonder that I was terrified? Can you believe now that it was a ghost, just asI claim? I can- not be mistaken, for the face was too familiar, the face of the man I loved better than | loved life itself.” ‘‘And are you positive as toits being a shadow ?” ‘‘T saw that chair right through the shadow, sir, and the figures there on the wall paper.” ‘* No question about that part of it, then. Mr. Klein told me that the apparition spoke to you, too.” ‘Yes, yes.” “ Do you mind telling what was said?” ‘Not at all, though I would not want to have my story made public.” 3 " It shall not be, if possible to withhold it. ‘You may trust us, Mrs. Bachert,” urged Klein, ‘‘T know I can trust you, John.” ‘“ And I vouch for my friend.” ‘‘It is enough. Not that there is any- thing that sLould be a secret, but I am of a shrinking disposition.” * We understand.” ‘* Well, the shadow called me by my name, Eliza, just as Charles used to speak my name, but I was unable‘ to make any re- sponse, as I said. I could not even nod my head or move a finger. ‘It spoke my name again, and said fur- Sa ‘At last, the day of vengeance is at hand.’” ‘‘ And was that all?” asked Dick. -He and Klein looked at each other. ‘*No, that was not all.” | ‘¢ What more?” ‘‘ After a pause, it added. ‘The huve been prosperous for them, but bitter their end. One blow has fallen, the other is pending!’” ‘ Remarkable,” “The two cases certainly must run to- gether,” decided Klein, ‘¢T think so,” agreed Dick. ‘‘ Was there anything further, madam, that you can re- member?” ‘‘ Remember! Every word of it is branded upon my brain forever!” “Pray let us have the whole of the re- markable matter, then, so that we may know where to begin its solving.” ‘*T tell you you will never solve the mys- tery.” my tae »-«" f i ¢ ie Poly ’ ¥ ecker, ears” ‘T think we will.” ‘Could you have seen the ghost as I saw it, you would see the folly of any such design.” ‘* Perhaps.” ‘Well, there was another pause, and them my dead husband said: * My revenge is all too tame, for the great wrong, but I send them in haste to answer before the great judge ofal!. Farewell.’ And that was all.” ‘“And what happened then?” ‘The ghost waved its hand, just as Charles used to do, and was gone.” ‘** Suddenly?” ‘* By fading rapidly, till it was gone, and. then the light was the same as it had been before.” The two men looked at each other. ‘‘It was just the same as the two ghost scenes in the saloons,” said Klein, ‘‘ Exactly,” agreed Dick. ‘*T have told mother about the one I saw,” spoke up Charlie Bachert. ‘*‘ There must have been the same agency at work in them all.” ‘‘ Precisely the same,” agreed Dick. ‘*‘ You do not believe in ghosts, then?” ‘‘T never did, but what am I to think now ?” ‘‘Oh! it was his ghost,” cried the widow. ‘‘ Nothing else could have appeared and dis- appeared in like manner,” ‘Well, it is hard to dispute it, madam,” said Deadwood Dick, ‘‘but I am hard to convince, in that ine. I think we shal! find an explanation, somehow.” ‘‘T fail to see how,” ‘* Well, madam, may we sit down? I de- sire to ask some questions.” “Why, certainly. Pardon me for keeping you standing.” ‘‘Don't mention it; I know you did not. think. I only mention it now for your own sake.”’ They took seats there in the little room, the son near the door in order to have ar eye upon the store, ‘* What you have said, madam, makes me eager to hear more,” Dick observed. ‘* But, I said that was all, sir.” “IT know, so far as the ghost was con- cerned, but there is more in connection with what the apparition had to say.” The woman looked down at the floor for some moments, ‘‘It is of the past,” she sald. ‘‘ Seemst to me it is decidedly of the pres- ent,” disputed Dick. ‘‘ Will you ,answer one question?” ‘* Certainly, sir.” “Do you connect the death of Joseph Mainard in any manner with what was said by your ghostly visitor?” ‘‘] do, sir. Ihave every reason to believe that he was one.of the two meant.” ‘‘ Mother, I think you had better stop,” spoke up the son. CHAPTER XIV. WIDOW BACHERT'S STORY. Dick and Klein looked at him in surprise. What harm could possibly come from the woman’s telling all she knew about the mat- ter? ‘‘ Why do you say that?” Dick asked. ‘* Because, trouble may come of this, per- haps.” 5 “ In what way?” ‘* You are a stranger to us.” ‘*T am not a stranger to Mr, Klein here.” ‘‘ My mother cannot prove that she saw what she claims to have seen,” The woman looked at her son in amaze, What had that to do with it? ‘“* What do you mean, Charlie?” she asked. ‘‘T will tell you what I mean, mother. We do not know this man, as I have said before, aud Mr. Klein may be mistaken in him.” ‘* No, no, there is no chance for mistake,” | ¥. ‘* You may trust — Klein hastened to assure. him the same as you would tiust me,” ’ . . ‘ ‘ “ ‘ 4) { ae ta | v. “ of ‘ e rats le a a Oe a. - a’ omicbooks. ‘ p \ - 4" > w ‘eee RD * ; ~~ _ ] > oO tO